2026 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship entry list
October 14, 2025
Action Express Cadillac’s Jack Aitken, Earl Bamber and Frederik Vesti stormed to Petit Le Mans victory after a hard-fought battle against Heart of Racing Aston Martin Valkyrie, while the No. 6 Porsche Penske Motorsport 963 secured the 2025 IMSA GTP title.
The No. 31 Cadillac V-Series.R crossed the finish line first, marking Cadillac’s 33rd IMSA win since entering the prototype class in 2017, their sixth in GTP, and a fifth at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.
The race was marked by early chaos, fluctuating weather and track conditions, intense wheel-to-wheel action and finely executed pit strategies, all contributing to a memorable close of the 2025 IMSA season.
As the race commenced shortly after midday, the No. 60 Meyer Shank Acura driven initially by Tom Blomqvist led the field from pole position, closely pursued by Jack Aitken in the No. 31 Action Express Cadillac.
The opening laps were frenetic including a multi-car incident in the GTD field triggered by the No. 34 Conquest Racing Ferrari that spun into the tightly-packed GTD pack.
The early collision eliminated five GTD entries and brought out a full course caution, which bunched up the field and set the tone for the highs and lows that would characterize the race.
Throughout the first hour, Aitken demonstrated remarkable pace and precision, closely matching and then overtaking Blomqvist at Turn 1 to seize the lead. The early stages saw multiple brief cautions but no major attrition for the frontrunners in GTP
Earl Bamber took the wheel from Aitken in the subsequent stage and initially solidified the team’s lead before suffering a right-rear puncture that forced an unscheduled pit stop.
The huge setback which saw them tumble down to 12th could have dashed their hopes, yet the team’s resilience shone through as Bamber charged aggressively back through the pack.
Around the halfway mark of the race, Frederik Vesti took over the Cadillac and pushed it to its limits, ultimately overtaking Mathieu Jaminet for the lead with the fastest lap.
The No. 31 Cadillac remained out front for the rest of the race despite stiff competition from the No. 23 Heart of Racing Aston Martin Valkyrie of Roman de Angelis, Alex Riberas, and Ross Gunn.
The Aston Martin Valkyrie hypercar in only its second season surprised many by holding a podium position throughout, ultimately finishing second just over three seconds behind the Cadillac.
Meanwhile, the No. 6 Porsche Penske Motorsport 963 driven by Matt Campbell, Mathieu Jaminet, and Laurens Vanthoor settled for third place, which was enough to secure the 2025 IMSA GTP title.
Romain Grosjean drove the Lamborghini SC63 to its best-ever result in fourth, sharing the honor with Edouardo Mortara and Daniil Kyvat as Lamborghini Squadra Corse marked their final race before IMSA exit.
The No. 60 MSR Acura of Blomqvist, Colin Braun and Scott Dixon managed to finish a respectable fifth after battling a mechanical issue in the second half of the race.
Full 2025 Petit Le Mans Race Results
2026 IMSA SportsCar Championship calendar: 11 rounds, venues and dates confirmed
2026 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship entry list
TDS takes shock Petit Le Mans victory in LMP2
In the LMP2 class, the No. 11 TDS ORECA 07 co-driven by Mikkel Jensen, Steven Thomas, and Hunter McElrea made a remarkable charge from last to take victory, thanks to Jensen’s huge fuel save in the final stint.
This was their sixth IMSA LMP2 class win and marked a poignant farewell moment for Steven Thomas, who announced his departure from the category next season.
The team which had started the race on the backfoot after losing class pole due to a technical infringement, had to overcome a myriad of challenges including a hit by the No. 74 Riley entry of Felipe Fraga in the sixth hour.
The TDS ORECA was later handed a penalty after failure to adhere to tire operational requirements before getting a mechanical black flag for failed rear brake lights with two hours and 43 minutes remaining.
The pole sitting No. 43 Inter Europol Competition Oreca finished second, while Era Motorsport’s Oreca completed the class podium.
Paul Miller BMW and AF Corse Ferrari claim GTD class wins
The GTD Pro class delivered its own share of drama, especially with a late penalty that impacted one of the title contenders, intensifying the battle to the finish.
The Paul Miller Racing BMW M GT3 EVO trio of Connor De Phillippi, Max Hesse, and Dan Harper claimed their first Petit Le Mans victory since 2014.
The No. 48 BMW M4 GT3 EVO crossed the line with a margin of 55 seconds after ten hours of racing, with the No. 4 Pratt Miller Motorsports Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R of Tommy Milner, Nicky Catsburg and Nico Varrone in second.
The sister No. 3 Pratt Miller Corvette driven by Antonio García, Daniel Juncadella and Alexander Sims clinched the 2025 IMSA GTD PRO Championship after finishing third.
In the GTD category, the AF Corse Ferrari crew of Alessandro Pier Guidi, Simon Mann, and Lilou Wadoux made history by not only winning the class but also marking the first female driver victory at Petit Le Mans in five years, with Wadoux becoming the third woman to secure a win in the iconic race.
The No. 023 Triarsi Competizione sealed a Ferrari 1-2 in the hands of Onofrio Triarsi, Kenton Koch and James Calado, while the No. 12 Vasser Sullivan Lexus RC F GT3 piloted by Jack Hawksworth, Parker Thompson and Frankie Montecalvo rounded out the podium.
